Kendrick Lamar: Mr Morale & the Big Steppers review – rap genius bares heart, soul and mind
After a five-year hiatus, the Pulitzer winner returns with an exhilarating hip-hop feast that ties personal pain to collective trauma – and lets no one off the hook - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarMary Halvorson: Amaryllis / Belladonna review – new landmarks in an inimitable jazz discography
The release of two contrasting albums demonstrate how far this inventive, singleminded guitarist has come, and offers a glimpse of a dazzling future - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarLet’s Eat Grandma: Two Ribbons review – an unforgettably powerful study of friendship
Written amid grief and separation, the duo’s third album uses beautiful melodies and Top 40 choruses to consider their evolving bond - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarSault: Air review – a daring act of creative rebirth pays off
Taking bold risks with a mostly wordless sixth album, Dean Josiah Cover ascends to spiritual new heights - Stevie Chick
starstarstarstarstarDiabelli Variations review – Uchida’s unparalleled playing is made for this
The pianist’s clarity and dexterity brings humour and insights to Beethoven’s contradictory colossus of a work - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarDissonance: Rachmaninov Songs review – fierce expressionism dripping with drama
Soprano Asmik Grigorian and pianist Lukas Geniušas bring a full-throated intensity to these 19 searing Rachmaninov romances - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarShabaka: Afrikan Culture review – open-ended shimmer
The saxophonist’s debut solo outing is a shift towards the meditative, but still crackles with his signature energy - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarHelge Iberg: The Black on White album review – gently beautiful Beatles interpretations
The Norwegian pianist puts his own beguiling twist on songs he knows by heart - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarKendrick Lamar: Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers review – towards a state of grace
The Pulitzer prize-winning rapper grapples with Black trauma and his own family’s struggles on this brave, electrifying fifth album - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarCave In: Heavy Pendulum review – an unapologetically fierce beast
With gargantuan riffs and amps turned up to 11, pure metal is tempered with the grace and complexity that have become the band’s trademark - Stevie Chick
starstarstarstarstarAuntie Flo & Sarathy Korwar: Shruti Dances review – India meets Ibiza
From an uptempo opening track, through swirling melodic ambience to a pensive warm-down, the duo’s debut collaboration is a radiant mini DJ set - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarMavis Staples & Levon Helm: Carry Me Home review – a final blaze of glory for the late Band musician
On poignant yet defiant recordings made in 2011 shortly before Helm’s death, Staples’ commanding vocals give enormous vibrancy to blues, folk and soul standards - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarHarry Styles: Harry’s House review – an abundantly charming artist so at home with pop stardom
Styles coos canny – though perhaps not especially deep – lyrics over 70s guitar and 80s hooks on a mature third album where every song feels like a single - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarThe Smile: A Light for Attracting Attention review – almost as good as a new Radiohead album
The debut album from Thom Yorke’s latest side project finds him in excellent voice, on tracks that veer from spiky post-punk to teasingly romantic - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarFlorence + the Machine: Dance Fever review – Florence Welch exorcises her demons
The singer spares no details on her confessional, pared-back fifth album with nods to Madonna and the Stones - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarHolliger: Lunea review – opaque and intricate opera of beautiful, fragile music
Holliger’s 2018 opera, depicting episodes from the life of Austrian poet Nikolaus Lenau, is superbly presented in this live recording, with Gerhaher leading an impressive cast - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarThe Smile: A Light for Attracting Attention review – Radiohead spinoff offers no alarms, some surprises
Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood team with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner for a debut that may not be head-spinningly different, but is still exceptional - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarArcade Fire: We review – a welcome return to form
(Columbia)Beauty, bleakness and euphoria collide on this record of two halves - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarElla Mai: Heart on My Sleeve review – everyday romance parsed with ambition
The happy 90s nostalgia of the British singer-songwriter’s debut yields to the tricksy rhythms and odd magic of her follow-up - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarWolfgang Haffner: Dream Band Live in Concert review – great grooves with big-band fire
The German jazz drummer’s seven-piece packs a mighty and accurately delivered punch in this uplifting set - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarBad Bunny: Un Verano Sin Ti review – this is why he is the world’s biggest pop star
Hopping from psychedelia to indie-pop to woozy reggaeton, this giant album flaunts the Puerto Rican’s boundless creativity - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarAngeline Morrison: The Brown Girl and Other Folk Songs review – precision and poetry
A collection focused on the place of people of colour in British folklore is abundant with meaning and feeling - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarSoft Cell: *Happiness Not Included review – synth-pop elders with an eye on the future
Two decades after their last album, the band return with a wryly hopeful record – and some trademark electro bangers - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarSamuel Barber: The Complete Songs review – characterful overview of a great songwriter
Every song Barber is known to have written is brought to life by 10 UK singers, including Nicky Spence and Mary Bevan - Erica Jeal
starstarstarstarstarKehlani: Blue Water Road review – slow and sensual
The Oakland singer’s lush third album is all about the heart’s desire… - Kadish Morris
starstarstarstarstarOumou Sangaré: Timbuktu review – sweet and tender sorrows
This subtle, highly accessible album finds the Malian superstar lamenting the political turbulence of her homeland from afar - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarLeyla McCalla: Breaking the Thermometer review – one radio station’s heroic stance
The Haitian-American musician explores the troubled history of creole-language Radio Haiti on her rewarding fourth album - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarJörg Thomasius: Acht Gesänge der schwarzen Hunde review – groundbreaking electronics from East Germany
A compilation of DIY releases smuggled out of 1980s East Berlin on cassette includes glistening minimalism, pulsating grooves and wonky techno - John Lewis
starstarstarstarstarWeber: Der Freischütz review – journey into the archetypal magic forest
A studio-made recording of the 1821 German opera that influenced generations of composers brings a nice edge of menace to its sound world - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarHatchie: Giving the World Away review – newfound confidence
Lyrical depths and glossy warmth infuse the Australian’s lush second album - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarBoj: Gbagada Express review – a sensual Afrobeats celebration
The impressive debut from the founder of Nigeria’s alté scene is a mellow celebration that does away with posturing - Kate Hutchinson
starstarstarstarstarSpiritualized: Everything Was Beautiful review – a sweet din of magnificent melodies
The space rockers’ ninth outing is their most assured in a long time, revelling in ecstatic keyboards and orchestral wallopsps - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarMalcolm Earle Smith: Vocal Intent review – a singing trombonist? You bet…
The British trombonist’s first vocal album breathes new life into old standards with huge flair - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarJoe Rainey: Niineta review – pushing powwow music into new spaces
On his debut album, the powwow singer transports Indigenous music to the concert hall and club while losing none of its power - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarClaire Rousay: Everything Perfect Is Already Here review – everyday sounds that tug at the heartstrings
The San Antonio-based artist uses field recordings of lighters and typewriters, voice fragments and classical instrumentation to evoke emotion and memory - Tayyab Amin
starstarstarstarstarOthmar Schoeck: Elegie review – a cycle bound by quiet melancholy
A rarely heard 24-song cycle with ensemble represents one of the last great flowerings of the romantic lieder tradition - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarFontaines DC: Skinty Fia review – boldly embracing a state of confusion
On their third album, the Dublin alt-rockers trade in their punky full-pelt approach for measured, compelling insights - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarDigga D: Noughty By Nature review – utterly compelling
The demonised drill star’s third mixtape is savage and breathtaking. If only he knock the sexism on the head - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarKurt Vile: (watch my moves) review – irresistibly lovely
Tuneful to a fault and happily in the moment, the US singer-songwriter’s latest set is an unalloyed delight - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarFlora Purim: If You Will review – a happy 80th birthday return
The first lady of Brazilian music is back with a celebratory album that keeps it in the family - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarTrish Clowes: A View With a Room review – a dreamy mix of structure and eclectic improv
Cinematic reveries and uncliched improv come together on the saxophonist-composer’s impressive seventh album - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarPoétiques de l’Instant: works by Debussy and Balmer review – thoughtful and rewarding
Chamber works from the beginning and end of the composer’s career combine with a modern echo in this elegant collection - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarDigga D: Noughty By Nature review – UK drill figurehead has a flow for the ages
Subject to controversial police-imposed restrictions on his lyricism, the London rapper uses the censorship to his benefit – and ambitiously broadens his style - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarKae Tempest: This Line Is a Curve review – sensitive and punchy
Dealing with themes of love and isolation, Tempest’s genre-blending fourth album is their most grounded project to date - Kadish Morris
starstarstarstarstarJack White: Fear of the Dawn review – crackles with energy
The Nashville-based impresario doubles down on his core creative tenets for an album that’s like nothing he’s done before - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarMark Turner: Return from the Stars review – out of this world
The American saxophonist’s ace quartet rise to the challenge of his demanding compositions with real flair - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarNick Hart: Nick Hart Sings Ten English Folk Songs review – stark and sweet
The East Anglian singer’s humanity and sly humour crackle through these simple, stripped-down traditional songs - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarCamila Cabello: Familia review – Latin-pop lift-off
The artist’s third album leans heavily into her Mexican-Cuban heritage – and the results hum with artistic intent - Alim Kheraj
starstarstarstarstarWet Leg: Wet Leg review – going beyond the chaise longue on nuanced debut
With millennial angst and humour to spare, the duo’s quarter-life crisis album has a much broader remit than their repetitive breakout single - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarCrooked Tree by Molly Tuttle review – classy bluegrass for modern America
Upbeat and melodic, the Californian singer’s third album ropes in Gillian Welch on a set of songs more concerned with strong women than strong whiskey - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarDavid Friend & Jerome Begin: Post- review – weirdly brutal American minimalism
Friend’s precise piano solos are amplified by Begin’s intense harmonics, and are all the better for their violent overtones - John Lewis
starstarstarstarstarFranck: Complete Songs and Duets review – elegant and refined vocal works
Carefully shaded performances of the Belgian composer’s lesser known songs – and wonderfully comprehensive sleeve notes – help mark the bicentenary of his birth - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarFather John Misty: Chloë and the Next 20th Century review – pop’s funniest storyteller is back at his best
Josh Tillman’s stunningly melodic, sepia-tinged new songs are so much more than knowing facsimiles of vintage styles - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarIbibio Sound Machine: Electricity review – vibrant Afro funk hits the heights
(Merge Records) The London band’s kaleidoscopic new album crosses genres and skips past musical borders - Kadish Morris
starstarstarstarstarAldous Harding: Warm Chris review – endearingly introspective folk-pop
Off-kilter lyricism and a winning sense of playfulness pervade the singer-songwriter’s hugely satisfying fourth album - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarAlexander Bryson: The Alexander Bryson Trio review – dazzling debut
Flawless strength and delicacy breathe new life into jazz tunes in various styles, from the early 1930s to late 50s - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarKoffee: Gifted review – eclectic and appealing reggae by Jamaica’s next big star
The debut album from Koffee, AKA Mikayla Simpson, skilfully occupies the space between Afrobeats, dancehall and pop - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarRosalía: Motomami review – energy and heartbreak from a first-class voice
The Spanish singer’s third album delivers gem after gem, as flamenco rhythms rub shoulders with sassy party flexes - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarIan Noe: River Fools & Mountain Saints review – a more genial, but still gritty, Appalachia
Grainy voiced Ian Noe has broadened his musical palette with his second album, but the story is still blue-collar Kentucky - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarBrad Mehldau: Jacob’s Ladder review – prog rock and Bible stories make for unique, ingenious jazz
The pianist draws on an unlikely combination of childhood obsessions for this hard-hitting, audacious electronic hybrid - John Fordham
starstarstarstarstarMendelssohn: The String Quintets review – profound and energetic chamber music
Bringing attention to a neglected aspect of the composer’s work, this recording shows these quintets are one of his finest achievements, full of lyricism and power - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarKojey Radical: Reason to Smile review – an era-defining Black British work
Hip-hop, neo-soul, jazz and rich storytelling work as one on the east London rapper’s long-awaited debut album - Kadish Morris
starstarstarstarstarJenny Hval: Classic Objects review – dreamlike songs and metaphysics
The Norwegian’s unshowy electronica and lush lyrics complement each other on this intriguing slow reveal of an album - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarEwan Bleach Quartet: Ewan the Night’n the Music review – jazz’s new old school
Standards get a traditional treatment, immaculately rendered, on the British sax and clarinet player’s terrific debut album - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarArun Sood: Searching Erskine review – elegy to a Hebridean past
This gorgeous sonic tribute to the abandoned island of Vallay, where the artist’s grandmother once lived, is filled with folk memory and longing - Jude Rogers
starstarstarstarstarJohnny Marr: Fever Dreams Pts 1-4 review – dancefloor-friendly double album
Marr trades post-punk guitar for energetic electro-indie in a hopeful, pandemic-processing 16-track opus - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarAlabaster DePlume: Gold review – another palpable hit from a jazz one-off
The hushed vocals and distinctive sax of this Mancunian artist compel on an album with spontaneity at its heart - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarNyokabi Kariūki: Peace Places: Kenyan Memories review – sounds of nature, people and home
This transcendent debut shows how a new generation of African musicians are using field recordings to explore their own heritage - John Lewis
starstarstarstarstarRihm: Sphäre nach Studie, Stabat Mater, etc review – a modern great, still springing surprises
A recording marking German composer Wolfgang Rihm’s 70th birthday vividly demonstrates how protean his vast output is - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarNilüfer Yanya: Painless review – refined indie pop with a disquieting lyrical edge
The London songwriter roots the sound of her accomplished second album in classic alt-rock, its beautiful melodies contrasting with mysteriously bleak vignettes - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarBinker and Moses: Feeding the Machine review – free jazz meets electronics in outer space
The sax of Binker Golding and the drums of Moses Boyd are joined by the modular synths of Max Luthert on this wild, atmospheric fourth album - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarDave Green Trio plus Evan Parker: Raise Four review – celebrating a lifetime of open-minded jazz
One of Britain’s best-connected jazzers marks his 80th birthday with a session heavy on Thelonious Monk - Dave Gelly
starstarstarstarstarThe Black Keys: Dropout Boogie review – another hit and miss record
There are great moments, and some inane ones too, on the US rockers’ 11th studio album - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarYe Vagabonds: Nine Waves review – a gently engaging follow-up
Singing in English this time, and backed by Crash Ensemble, the Mac Gloinn brothers maintain their distinctive sound - Neil Spencer
starstarstarstarstarEthel Cain: Preacher’s Daughter review – evocative goth-pop with emotional heft
The introspective singer explores identity and religion amid a backdrop of seedy Americana on this rich, haunting debut - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarSharon Van Etten: We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong review – mid-paced candour
Holding it all together mid-pandemic, Van Etten’s sixth album of highs and lows struggles to strike a resounding chord - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarArcade Fire: We review – goodbye cod reggae, hello stadium singalongs
After a weak 2017 predecessor, the band’s new album returns to well-trodden territory. Its peevish lyrics are irritating, but it should avert a slide down festival bills - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarToro y Moi: Mahal review – gently seductive but frustratingly half-baked
The seventh album from chillwave’s leading light soars with psychedelic meshes, but is too uneven to cherish - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarRammstein: Zeit review – ridiculous, but no risk of boredom
The Gothic, operatic metallers deliver hook after hook on an album so streamlined and efficient you can almost hear the pyro cues - Michael Hann
starstarstarstarstarSwedish House Mafia: Paradise Again review – a formulaic play for radio airtime
Veering between pop-club pastiche and something more interesting, the Swedes’ debut album is largely palatable but unremarkable - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarBob Vylan: Bob Vylan Presents the Price of Life review – no-holds-barred social commentary
A second album of bolshy rap-rock takes aim at not-so-Great Britain – and its message couldn’t be timelier - Jenessa Williams
starstarstarstarstarSyd: Broken Hearts Club review – introspection with a little help from her friends
The US singer-songwriter’s intimate second solo album is a mixed bag of featherlight vocals and strong collaborations - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarHannah Peel & Paraorchestra: The Unfolding review – where’s the big bang?
This overly orthodox classical-electronic crossover only occasionally captures the spirit of natural and cosmic forces - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarPillow Queens: Leave the Light On review – brooding, atmospheric indie
The classy second album from the Dublin alt-rock four-piece is steeped in hard-won wisdom and catharsis - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarDestroyer: Labyrinthitis review – wayward, dance-infused weirdness
(Bella Union)The Canadian rockers weave dreamy electronica through an album that buries frequent moments of brilliance beneath a bewildering collage of ideas - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarMachine Gun Kelly: Mainstream Sellout review – fun, fresh outta-the-00s punk-pop
A tabloid-baiting relationship with Megan Fox and heightened celebrity are influences on an entertaining but cliched album - Alim Kheraj
starstarstarstarstarSibelius: The Symphonies and Tapiola review – Mäkelä veers between the outstanding and prosaic
The prodigious young talent has an exclusive recording contract with Decca but his debut – a Sibelius symphony cycle – is frustratingly uneven - Andrew Clements
starstarstarstarstarArrDee: Pier Pressure review – a boisterous debut from Brighton’s teenage rapper
The first mixtape from this savvy young drill artist is ready for the party - Tara Joshi
starstarstarstarstarCharli XCX: Crash review – subverting pop’s rules, or just playing by them?
Torn between chart success and the pop vanguard, the artist self-consciously set out to make a ‘major label album’ – but it’s full of mixed messaging - Alexis Petridis
starstarstarstarstarRex Orange County: Who Cares? review – sweet, unremarkable bedroom pop
The Surrey singer-songwriter’s fourth album offers plenty of hooks but lacks the depth to be truly memorable - Ammar Kalia
starstarstarstarstarShenseea: Alpha review – thundering energy, staggering profanity
With a hypnotic flow of eye-wateringly blunt lyrics, the 25-year-old’s debut heralds Jamaican dancehall’s next big crossover star - Rachel Aroesti
starstarstarstarstarThe Weather Station: How Is It That I Should Look at the Stars review – delicate songs of love and sorrow
Tamara Lindeman follows up last year’s multilayered masterpiece with songs of love and existential sorrow that call to mind a fellow complex Canadian - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarStereophonics: Oochya! review – a decent effort to mark the band’s quarter century
Kelly Jones’ band revive their trusty formula, making songs that at their best hit the sweet spot between emotional and anthemic - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarTears for Fears: The Tipping Point review – an elegant, long-awaited return
The veteran pop duo process difficult times on this beautifully crafted, if not quite catchy, new album - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarAvril Lavigne: Love Sux review – party like it’s 2002
High-energy bangers follow one after the other as the Canadian returns to her pop-punk roots - Hannah Jane Parkinson
starstarstarstarstarBakar: Nobody’s Home review – a spectacularly strong sense of place
The singer-songwriter’s eloquent if uneven debut album is stamped with the sounds of north London – Winehouse, Blur – where he grew up - Kitty Empire
starstarstarstarstarRed Hot Chili Peppers: Unlimited Love review – bloated and self-indulgent
The Californian quartet’s latest follows a long line of forgettable albums, even if they do enshrine Southend in a lyric - Phil Mongredien
starstarstarstarstarPeter Doherty and Frédéric Lo: The Fantasy Life of Poetry & Crime review – weak and hackneyed
A lockdown collaboration between the Libertines frontman and the French composer’s parodic pop fantasies disappoints - Damien Morris
starstarstarstarstarSonic Youth: In/Out/In review – tantalising scraps from end of an era
Largely unheard, mostly instrumental rarities from the alt-rock band’s final decade offer flashes of their chemistry - Dave Simpson
starstarstarstarstarRex Orange County: Who Cares? review – sad boy-next-door plays it gratingly safe
Alex O’Connor has a knack for melody, but his unrelenting self-absorption leaves the resulting songs feeling flat and thin - Alexis Petridis
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